LONG BRANCH — Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday called on people to wait until all the facts are in and to refrain jumping to conclusions about the shooting of an unarmed man in Ferguson, Mo., that has dominated national news the past few weeks.

Speaking at a town hall in Long Branch, Christie said "TV anchor people ... are making a spectacle" of the police shooting that killed an 18-year-old black teenager and sparked unrest in the Missouri town. The matter has led to an FBI investigation, as well as massive protests, looting, and police activity in the St. Louis suburb.

"None of us quite know yet what happened in Ferguson and what happened to this young man who was killed," said Christie, a former federal prosecutor. "What you read in the newspapers and what you see on TV is almost always just a fraction of the story."

"This is now a national, central issue, and anyone running for president needs to come up with a formula, or, in my opinion, they forfeit their right to be taken seriously," said Sharpton, a civil rights leader who ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. "I’m amazed that we’re not hearing from leading candidates ... Chris Christie or Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton. I land in New York this morning, and I see Chris Christie dancing with Jamie Foxx."

Christie on Tuesday criticized politicians he said are too eager to offer their opinions during such events simply because they "are just trying to get their names in the paper." He did not mention Sharpton by name, and earlier in the day, his spokesman Kevin Roberts declined to respond to Sharpton’s remarks.

A pair of Christie’s potential rivals in the Republican presidential primary have weighed in on the issue. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wrote an op-ed for Time Magazine last week denouncing the "militarization of law enforcement" and "an erosion of civil liberties and due process that allows the police to become judge and jury."

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wrote a Facebook post saying "civil liberties must be protected, but violence is not the answer" and that "we should examine carefully what happened to ensure that justice is served."

Christie on Tuesday asked residents to keep their thoughts and prayers with the shooting victim’s family, while also warning people not to pile on against police in New Jersey and other parts of the country

Christie’ remarks echoed comments he gave to reporters on Friday when asked about the unrest in Ferguson. He said everyone should wait for all the evidence to make its way through the nation’s criminal justice system and noted that "police officers across this country work in grave danger every day ... to make sure they protect innocent people across the country."

"Whatever happened in Ferguson, we have a justice system in this country that will be able to make that judgment and if there are people who need to be held accountable I’m confident they will be," Christie said. "But I’m not going to get into this business of generalizing against law enforcement officers. It’s not right."